Nameless Elysian Heights park to finally get an identity [updated]

ELYSIAN HEIGHTS — It’s been nearly five years since the first phase of an 18-acre chunk of new parkland opened on a hillside that rises up from Riverside Drive. The park has a basketball court, playgrounds, picnic areas and trails. What it does not have is a name.

The space, which at one point was the site of a proposed warehouse complex, is considered an expansion of nearby Elysian Park. But there’s a gap between the two parks, with the new, nameless park standing on its own. Now, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell has proposed that the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission consider finally giving a name to the new park: Walnut Hill at Elysian Park.

Nice to have a name, but what would be really nice would be to connect it with Elysian Park. It looks like there’s an easement and/or right of way that extends past the bottom part of Landa that could go up the hillside to the main Elysian Park trail. Has anyone tried to piece the parcels together?

I hope they will get around to fixing up the upper part of that park, where it hits Echo Park Ave. Right now it’s just dirt. gopher holes and dog poop. How about some drought tolerant plants and park benches?

I found out about this park when I read your article. I went to check it out yesterday and there’s not parkin, or a shade … I was going to have a picknick there, but since there wasn’t a shade, we went to the main Elysian Park. As ny son says “maybe in a few years when the trees grow”

Why would they name it Walnut Hill? What kind of generic stupid name is that? Landacre Park would have been better. Or a Spanish name, thats a no brainer. This is what happens when you have clueless, racist, history ignorant halfwits making up the Citizens Committatus to Save Elysian Park. I dont expect someone named O’Farrell to have any sort of cultural sensitivity, but still. Whats next? Changing the name of Elysian Park to Ozzie and Harriet Park? Or Dennis the Menaceville? Or Hipster Hills?

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